Marc Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'd do them. Only 2 requests have come my way in 8 years. I'd not do it if I didn't have adequate supporting documents in hand. I'd also become a wall to any argumentative parties on site. My charge would include the time it typically takes to round up those documents as well as a mileage charge, much like expert witness work. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allseason Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 I will do them. I have a paragraph in my contract that expains that I do not do them for free and state a start fee that can go up. In my reports I have more paragraphs that state fees, a limited number of items that will be looked at and that I will not inspect any repairs not documented by reciepts from the license carrying contractor that did the repairs. Anything written has additional costs. I may get one call a year for a reisnpect. I believe they are more PR than money makers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieb Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 I think we need to start a discussion about doubling our prices. I inspected a 6k sf, 4 year old home today. Needless to say there is a lot to write. The buyer already stated they would want a re-inspect. It's time to adopt Mike's pricing. So, don't ya'll all believe we should double our prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Kienitz Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 So, don't ya'll all believe we should double our prices. Done ! But, I'm have a heckuva time getting the client to accept the new fees [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Around here it seems the only time they want to pay for a reinspect is when the mortgage company requires it. Last week I had a realtor text me if i would reinspect some repairs, I said sure $50 since I'll be in the area later in the day. She replied "Ahhh - I don't think she wants to pay $50 for a reinspect" I replied "no problem have a nice day". I mean really did they just want me to donate my time and knowledge and car expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 I have always done re-inspections for anyone that asks for a flat fee of $75.00 non-negotiable. If it's a lot to inspect, it's $100.00. It typically takes about 30 - 45 minutes, plus drive time and gas, so I'm not making a killing. I don't OFFER the service, but about one in twenty-five ask for it, and I always say, "I'll be happy to, but there is a fee.". No one in 19 years has ever called me back to belly-ache about repairs that I re-inspected. If the work sucks, I tell them so, and make sure they understand that this is their last chance to either accept or reject the work. I had to do that yesterday - a lousy wood filler repair. I told her, "This is not what I hoped for, but all of the wood decay is gone and as long as you keep this primed and painted, it will be fine for years. It just could have been done better." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 I formerly did re-inspects; however every time I would conduct a re-inspect I would find that the repairs were done incorrectly and I would be placed in the middle, arguing with the person that did the repairs along with the sellers and their realtor. I guess that's the difference, I always let the buyer do the arguing. I'm just there to inform them of the quality and completeness of the repairs. If the work is bad, I'll distiguish between cosmetic bad and bad with real consequences. Then, I just step back and let them decide how they want to handle it. Often, they'll ask me point blank what I would do if it was my home. If they do, I tell them honestly what I would do. Everyone seems to be perfectly satisfied with that approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Gee, it must be nice to have to worry about re-inspections. In my market I'm having trouble booking the first inspection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Avoiding arguments is not hard in this business. There are very few jobs that are as black and white as this one. Most civilians don't understand that everything in a house, right down to the smallest fastener, has a specification. All we have to do is know a lot of stuff, and trot it back out as necessary. I never argue. I just lay out the facts. Inevitably, folks on both sides want to dispute the facts, but that doesn't involve me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieb Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 The arguments here work like this: two agents and buyer attend I show up with the summary unless a requested repair list is provided I ask for receipts form contractors. They were notified at the booking I require HVAC, plumbing and elec to be licensed I say corrected, poorly done or not done for each item after 30 to 90 min of looking listing agent spouts off I have a letter from the city, we did not agree to do that or all the houses are that way client looks at me, I respond, you know what I think and as discussed at the inspection, I back my opinion with manufacturer installation instructions, the code or my opinion that it looks like manure. I also will not debate but I am stuck there. Perhaps I will now require no "other" side parties be present. 20 - 45 min driving each way. 30 -90 on site. 125 - 150 for the re-inspect = low wages but as of yesterday the pay changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieb Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Funny thing. The listing agent mentioned a few days ago was arguing that roof to wall flashing is fine behind the brick, the broker agreed it was wrong, and no houses in the neighborhood used copper flashings. She did this as we stood looking at the front of the house. I pointed to the copper step flashing on the house next door. The broker was grinning and shook his head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 listing agent spouts off I have a letter from the city.................... Those are easy. I just tell folks to get the city guy out there when I'm there, and I'll show them where the city made a mistake. For the "all houses are that way" statement, I say, "Oh, I know they're all that way; it's why I have a business. If they weren't all that way, I'd be outta work". For the "we didn't agree to that" argument, I say "What's that got to do with me?" And yes, you're right. triple your prices. I don't go back out for anything less than $250. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 I do it, but I don't do many and I charge $250 minimum. Jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Charley, Get in the habit of prepping them to pay a fair price when you come out. Sooner or later while you are doing your inspection, you're going to inform them about something that needs correction that will be fairly simple, and one would think not-too-expensive, to fix. They will ask you, "How much do you think that's going to cost?" respond with, "Well, I don't exactly know. All trades charge a little differently. One thing I do know is that you can't get any fat guy, including me, to climb into his truck for less than $150. Once he gets in that truck, you're subject to trip charges, time on site labor, cost of parts, costs to prepare reports, etc," so it could be substantial. Best thing to do, call and get an idea up-front before you bring anyone out here." Sometimes it doesn't sink in the first time and they ask again on something else, whereupon I usually respond with, "Fat guy rule - remember? Not less than $150." They laugh, remember what I'd said earlier and it sinks in a little deeper. It preps them not to expect a contractor to be cheap, even when the thing that needs correction can be fixed very cheaply, and it makes them understand in no uncertain terms that if they call me to come back out I don't do work at fire sale prices. Works for me; others' mileage may vary. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 I generally find a person is worth about what they think they're worth. Like some here, I think I'm worth a lot or at least the advice I give is, especially compared to what I'm saving them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieb Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Mark and Kurt, Ya'll are right. This thread has helped me put a bit of the "nice guy" mindset behind me. Erby, Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 But, but, but........you are a nice guy. I think I am too. I think we all are. The oddball thing is folks still think the realtors sales pitch is what's right and nice. Screw that. Nice guys don't roll over in the face of stupidities. Just because I feel like standing up for what I know is right, it doesn't make me not nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieb Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 No argument with any of that. If what I have said sounded like I roll over......ya'll know me better than that. The nice guy has gone easy on other's pocket book. Time to bring the scales into balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 I generally find a person is worth about what they think they're worth. Like some here, I think I'm worth a lot or at least the advice I give is, especially compared to what I'm saving them. Sometimes when I quote my fee to a potential client, they'll say: 'Well, so-and-so will do it for less.' And I always reply casually: 'Well, I'm sure he knows what he's worth.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Stolen........filed for future use...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Kienitz Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubrooks Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 I'm split on it. I don't like to but I have found absolutely bad repairs by the seller or some idiot that was hired. I don't argue. I simply tell them if they were competent in their trade, they wouldn't have to ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Regarding pricing for re-inspections - no doubt, I'm probably low. Yet, the angel on my right shoulder has me constantly checking myself regarding the difference between charging what I'm worth, and hosing someone simply because I can... There's a vast differance between inspecting a home and confirming whether the repairs have been done acceptably. I don't know guys... I'm having a hard time with this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Regarding pricing for re-inspections - no doubt, I'm probably low. Yet, the angel on my right shoulder has me constantly checking myself regarding the difference between charging what I'm worth, and hosing someone simply because I can... There's a vast differance between inspecting a home and confirming whether the repairs have been done acceptably. I don't know guys... I'm having a hard time with this one... Hi, Well, I look at it this way; right now I charge a flat fee for each inspection based strictly on square footage. I don't charge more for attics or crawlspaces or if the home is older - just a straight fee based on a chart I developed. Now, if I were to charge my regular hourly rate for the time it takes to do a home inspection and then write the report, plus the travel time to and from job sites, plus the time I have to spend on the phone answering the clients questions when/if he or she has any, my inspections would be priced at about three times what they are now, so charging more for reinspections balances things out. Besides, a reinspection in this sense of the word isn't part of the home inspection; it's a completely different thing. It's going out to a site and looking at someone else's work and then declaring it either crap or acceptable. When you do that, you place yourself more tightly between a rock and the hard place than you did for the initial inspection. That kind of increased liability is worth more. Keep in mind too that when you go out to do a reinspection you might be on the road for a half hour each way, only on-site for ten minutes, and then they want you to write them a report. Don't forget that while you were out there dinking around like the family doctor being asked to open up someone's head and tell them if the neurosurgeon you'd referred them to had gotten all of that tumor, you might have had to turn down at least one full inspection in order to be there on this particular date and time. I know what my average daily and hourly wage needs to pencil out to, in order for me to be able to pay the bills at the end of the month and I ensure that I charge enough to equal that range even when I'm not doing a full inspection. If I didn't, I'd be letting folks take advantage of me. Clients don't have any misperceptions about how I'm going to charge if they call me back for a reinspection because I tell them upfront before the full inspection exactly how I intend to charge if they every call me back. I literally say to them that my rate to come back is charged by the half hour at my normal rate (essentially twice my regular hourly fee for a full inspection) and that I charge for time coming, time going, time onsite and time arguing on the phone with...whoever. I point out that with our traffic mess here (8th worst in the US) that by the time I get out there, spend time on site, drive home, and prepare the documents, I will have pretty much killed half a day; and, since I'd be turning down work to make their reinspection appointment they can expect me to charge "exactly like a lawyer." Nobody has ever voiced an objection to that,...ever...really. I think everyone understands it and they agree that business is business and that it's a fair approach. Others' mileage may vary. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Yeah, I understand, Mike. And, please don't think I'm being too terribly judgemental. I'm not. My statement has more to do with my own inner feelings than other's motives. My way around some of what you're saying is that I won't do a re-inspection during the hours that I could normally do a home inspection, unless the week is so slow that I know there will be no conflict. As I said, I'm probably too cheap - leaving some dollars on the table. I guess in the long run, Jiminy Cricket's mantra still haunts me - "Let your conscience be your guide." (Definitely dating myself) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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